Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1887-09-29
CHAPTER XII.

able Importance to Tad ThOrne, could
he hut have known it.
CHAPTER XII
1t was a lovely Saturday afternoon,
and, of course, Il half-holiday for Blk
port youth. Tad had been very busy
all the forenoon, as Mr.. and Mrs.
Mason, of Boston, had arrived the
night before, and taken the spare
room. They were very wealthy peo-
pie, who had boarded with Miss Smith
for three successive summers, find
ing in the quiet of this secluded
village an enjoyment that no crowded
watering-place could give them.
Tad had seen very little of them,
and only noticed that the lady was
rather stout and pleasant-faced, while
the gentleman was also stout and
rather jolly. The name was curiously
familiar, though, and he racked his
brain in vain to think where he had
heard it.
Tad always had his liberty on Sat-
urday afternoon, and, borrowing Mr..
Kenneth's big, fiat-bottomcd boat, he
had invited Joe Whitney, Polly Flagg
and the dog Bounce to go after lilies in
Bixport pond-a beautiful sheet of
water, not far from Deacon Whitney's.
There's Mr.. Mason and his wife al
ready said Polly, CHANGING ashore;
''they always put up some lunch and
start for the pond just as soon as they
get fairly settled at Miss Smiths
And there are those two Boston
girls that are boarding at Widow Simp-
son's-with Mr.. Forrest" added Joe,
with slight chuckle, as he remem-
bered the bitten apple.
"Come ashore and have some lunch,
young folks" called Mr.. Mason, who
was Il great favorite in BiXport, be-
cause, as they said, che nor his wife
put on city airs-if they acre worth
half a million dollars"
So the boat was headed for the shore,
and, as it touched the beach, Polly,
with both hands full of long-stemmed,
fragrant treasures, jumped ashore
followed, more slowly, by Tad and Joe.
John, dear, sOiH you look at those
lovely lilies!" exclaimed Mrs. Mason;
and, at the sound of her voice, it all
came back to Tad-the Pullman car,
and the night journey to Boston be-
hind Mrs. John G. Mason's chair, shell
tered by Mrs. John G. Mason's cloak.
How funny it was, to be sure!
The little party gathered round the
lunch-basket, under the shade of some
delightfully."- tall pines, and began to
discuss rather substantial lunch. At
n little distance were the Misses Baker,
two very nice girls of culture, from
Boston-and, having said this, it is
perhaps unnecessary to add that the
younger wore eyeglasses, and had
brought volume of Ruskin for light
reading, while her sister, with artistic
tendencies, was seated under large
white umbrella before an easel, making
a sketch of Bixport pond in oils. Mir.
Forrest, who represented himself as of
one of the first families of New York,
was most deliberately dressed in a cool
and becoming boating suit of cream
colored flannel; and when he arose
from very green messy log on which
he had been sitting, the effect of color
was so striking as to draw an audible
snort from the observant Joe Whitney.
'.SaY, Mr.. Forrest" he called. with
his mouth full of sandwich, 81 wouldn't
set down much in them white clos
they're all streaked up behind now; be-
sides, there's lots of humble bee's-nests
round here
Mr.. Forrest, who had turned very
red, did not receive the suggestion in a
kindly spirit.
Young man" he said, loftily, .'allow
me 20 say that your coarse familiarity
is very unpleasant-have the goodness
70 attend 10 your own affairs"